Gridiron Glory artifacts

Gridiron Glory 1

The rarest document in the Hall of Fame's collection is being displayed outside of Canton for the first time. This is the accounting ledger from a game played in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Nov. 12, 1892. It serves as proof of the first paid football player and hence nicknamed pro football's "birth certificate."

Gridiron Glory 2

Fans who go to see Gridiron Glory will enjoy getting a glimpse of this jersey on display. Barry Sanders wore this jersey on Dec. 21, 1997 when he became just the third player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing in a single season.

Gridiron Glory 3

Many rare photos from the Hall's collection of more than 3 million images are featured in Gridiron Glory such as this 1922 Oorang Indians team shot. Oorang was an NFL team for two seasons and its players were all American Indians including two Hall of Famers, Joe Guyon (front row, left) and Jim Thorpe (top row, fourth from right).

Gridiron Glory 4

Jason Taylor wore this uniform during the 2006 season when he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. That year he returned two interceptions for touchdowns, tying him for the for the most career touchdowns by a defensive lineman (7) since the AFL-NFL merger.

Gridiron Glory 5

The NFL’s last true “Iron Man,” Philadelphia Eagles center-linebacker Chuck Bednarik played 58 of a possible 60 minutes and made a game-saving tackle in the 1960 NFL Championship Game versus the Green Bay Packers.

Gridiron Glory 6

When quarterback Sammy Baugh signed with the Washington Redskins, pro football was largely a running game. By the time he retired in 1952, the forward pass was a primary offensive weapon. During his career, “Slingin Sammy” won an NFL record-setting six NFL passing titles.

Gridiron Glory 7

On October 12, 1992 in a game against the Denver Broncos Art Monk became the NFL’s then-all-time leading receiver when he recorded his 820th career catch. This is the jersey the longtime Washington Redskins receiver wore that day.

Gridiron Glory 8

Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long successfully transitioned from the playing field to a career in television and movies. Long wore this prop as the lead in the 1998 movie “Firestorm."